Porchlight Films has recruited international returnee Tanya Phegan to create and occupy the post of head of television. Porchlight too is determined to consolidate itself as a hyphenated company strongly branded to both film and television.
According to the release, Tanya Phegan has “an enviable network of filmmakers, producers, writers, broadcasters and publishers across the UK, US and Australia”. She has worked in both the UK and the US, for both BBC Films and DNA Films. That company has an enviable track record; in Tanya’s term as head of development and acquisitions she was responsible for he Last King of Scotland, 28 Weeks Later, Dredd, Never Let Me Go, Sunshine and Notes on A Scandal.
As Vincent Sheehan, who owns the company with Liz Watts and Anita Sheehan, explained on tghe phone, “I’ve known Tanya for a long time. We worked together before she took off for the UK thirteen years ago. Over the last ten years we have kept in touch and often talked about the kinds of projects we want to make, both in film and TV. The dialogue slowly went towards us working together.”
Since Porchlight produced two series of Laid for the ABC, it has continued to develop television projects, and currently has a series in train with Channel 4 in the UK.
While so many companies see their future in both film and television, Vincent Sheehan’s reasoning is distinctive.
“In the past independent cinema used to be the place where bold innovative stories were told,” he said. “It has become more conservative, and perhaps has shrunk, because access to screens and audiences has decreased.
“As the two forms merge, television offers many possibilities – exciting creative possibilities – in terms of stories and characters and the depth you go with them.”
As young audiences gravitate towards television rather than film with the variety of screens available to them, he argues that they remain interested in bold, ground-breaking stories. They are just seeking them out on a variety of smaller screens and at their convenience.
Porchlight is obviously determined to develop its television slate pretty strongly, enough to bring in a well-credentialed development executive. I asked Vincent if this implies a broader, more populist approach to material. After all, Porchlight has produced a fine body of work which is solidly arthouse, from Lore and Dead Europe to Animal Kingdom, The Hunter, Jewboy and Little Fish.
The answer was pretty clearly no. “We won’t be doing reality TV,” he said.
“There is a bit of a Porchlight brand, and it’s been very director focused, and we want to take that into the television arena. We will continue to be talent focused, in directors, writers and cast.
“That is the way high end TV drama is going – which is exciting.”
